I took a class on macroeconomics in Spanish and gained the respect of my professor for staying in the class despite my fears and the extra work I had to put in to make sure I understood the material. Now, some of my closest relationships are with people who solely speak Spanish. The price of looking awkward while clumsily choosing my words is completely worth the gain of a whole new group of people to meet.
This confidence did not stop with my linguistic endeavors. At the beginning of this year, I made a resolution to be a better communicator in all aspects of my life, both in Spanish and English. I challenged myself to speak up and be honest in my connections with people and work with others to avoid miscommunications or solve problems when they arise. I have made great strides on this front in the first five months of 2019. Since I have a more limited vocabulary in Spanish than I do English, I need to communicate more directly when speaking Spaish. This has really helped me discover what I truly want to express in both languages and has actually made it easier for me to analyze what I'm feeling.
Feelings and desires are difficult, and thinking through them can be tricky sometimes. For the past three years, I have been thinking about what it is that I want to dedicate myself to after I finish my studies next year. I have worked in a variety of capacities throughout my time in college, and reflecting on all of those experiences over this semester, I have realized that I genuinely love working with people and learning more about those who live differently than I do. I especially love working with children and seeing all the potential that exists in the world.